Well, from November 7 - 10th I was in Toronto Ontario at the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) Youth Council. Over five hours on a plane both ways I learned that I can sleep on a plane and my feet swell up - which sucks when you need to get off the plane and put back on your shoes.
Our meetings were held at the Church House, which is the home of the Anglican Church of Canada (I believe). And, by the way, the Church House does in no way look like a church. I was very disappointed when we pulled up and it was a flat sided building with windows - nice enough, but definitely did not look like a cathedral! Yes, for some reason I had it in my mind that the Church House would look like a beautiful big Cathedral. But oh well, it was a nice enough building and the inside was done well. I even got to go into the Primate's office to drop off some pictures, he wasn't there - well no one was there, but I got to go into his office and write a note for him. Yeah, I'm incredibly weird - but it was so cool!
So, we sat in a room at a big table for two whole days. The meetings were great though, I learned a lot, met a lot of great people, and had a lot of fun. We have a huge list of things to do now which all came out of our conversations. There are opportunities to go on partner visits over the next coming years, so some of our members will attend those. I will not be embarking on any of these opportunities this time around. I figure I've got a number of more years of these opportunities probably coming up!
On Friday we had a joint meeting with the PWRDF Board; we had dinner together, played some icebreakers, and the youth council gave a presentation on a proposal well, that we are proposing. It was really nice having that interaction with the Board members. Friday night we all gathered in one of our hotel rooms, we visited and got to know each other better.
Saturday and Sunday were both full days of meetings, which I of course enjoyed! We went out for dinner both evenings. Walking downtown Toronto in the evening was an adventure. Did you know that they actually have those big televisions outside on the streets - it amazed me, and a diagonal crosswalk. I obviously do not spend enough time downtown in big cities.
After about an hours worth of conversation we finally decided that our next meeting would be at the end of March in Winnipeg! Hello Snow!! Oh, and next time I'm in Toronto... I will plan on spending an extra day or two - so I at least can go see the Cathedral!
Once I got home I went and visited my friend and met her boyfriend, since it was the first time the both of us had ever been in the same town at the same time. I met up with my mom, did some shopping for our youth meeting on Tuesday, and headed to Savona where I then slept.
Our youth meeting on Tuesday went really well! We had a dinner youth meeting because no one had school (it was Remembrance Day), and I had missed the Friday meeting. So, we had tacos, played lots of games, and did a short prayer service. It was really nice, and a great way to remember all those who fought for peace, for those who said war was wrong, "may love flow over all the earth and cleanse us all - this day and always!"
I only had two days of school last week, and was back in Savona on Friday for youth group once again. Ah... notice a pattern of where I spend a lot of my time... Pretty much I spent so much time at the church over the last week that I lost my cell phone there on Tuesday and then found it on Friday in the lectern. Nothing will ever surprise me anymore.
Tomorrow Bishop Gordon Light is having his last service with us in Savona before he retires. I am excited to see him again but also saddened that this is his last service with us. We are having a potluck lunch after the service, and then a short meeting with +Gordon. After that I am heading back into Kamloops to do a whole tone of homework. I am very much ready for the semester to be over (December 9th is my last exam - please count down with me!!). I am currently hoping that next semester proves to be more interesting, only time will tell though!
Next weekend I am off to Kelowna where I will be at my first meeting of the British Columbia and Yukon Anglican Youth Movement council. I'm excited and time will tell and show what I will end up doing for this council!
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